5 pieces of advice for looking younger and feeling healthier
Wrinkles, grey hair, and saggy boobs are all part of nature’s great plan of existence. If we didn’t get old, then we could never be young! But, truth be told — we don’t like getting older. This may explain why the beauty and skincare industry is worth over $400 billion dollars. Did you know that by the year 2019, anti-aging methods alone will exceed $191.7 billion dollars? That’s enough to blow your Botox.
While we can’t exactly stop this natural yet unwanted phenomena from occurring, we can take other preventative measures to sustain a youthful appearance and delay the inevitable signs of aging.
If you are one of the millions looking for ways to be mistaken for your daughter’s sister instead of her mom, or if you simply want to adopt healthy habits that can maintain an active, youthful-feeling life, here are some reliable anti-aging secrets that have been shown to prolong youth — despite our age.
Calcium
Calcium is not only important for building up bone density but plays an important role in muscle contraction, the release of hormones, and message transmission through the nerves. “Studies show that you may need as little as 500mg of calcium and 500-600mg of magnesium in your supplement to prevent and even reverse osteoporosis,” wrote Nan Fuchs, Ph.D., a nutrition expert.
Vitamin A
The “I just got back from an exotic, tropical vacation” look became all the rage after Coco Chanel returned bronzed and refreshed from a trip to the French Riviera in the 1920’s. Now after years of sun worship slathered in baby oil laying poolside, our age will be written all over our wrinkled face. Lucky for us, eating foods rich in Vitamin A will help repair damaged skin cells. The ultimate Vitamin A packed smoothie would consist of spinach, sweet potatoes, and mangoes. Yum…
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Water
Roughly 60 percent of the body is made up of water, and when you’re thirsty, it shows — especially in your hands. When it comes to delaying the signs of age, drink up! According to The Institute of Medicine, men should drink 13 cups of water per day and women should drink about nine cups of water each day.
Omega-3
Omega-3 is one fatty acid you do not want to forget, especially since it staves off the brain-fogging signs of memory loss. “The American Heart Association recommends eating two servings a week of omega-3 rich, fatty fish, like salmon, herring, sardines, and albacore tuna. This is primarily for heart health, but your brain also will reap the benefits,” wrote contributor Shawn Radcliffe regarding a new study on the benefits of fish oil. For the non-fish fans, Omega-3 can also be found in nuts and flaxseeds or can be taken as a supplement.
Supplements
There are a handful of lab-tested natural supplements that have proven to reduce the signs of aging like wrinkles and brown spots (i.e., Glucosamine, Coenzyme Q-10, Vitamin C and E), but even fewer that might actually extend a person’s life altogether. One such supplement, Protandim, has been making an impact in recent lab tests. Since 1999, the natural plant-based supplement, distributed by LifeVantage, has been proven to increase the median survival in mice, thus delaying the aging process. Also, it has been shown to suppress tumor-promoting oxidative stress, cell proliferation and inflammation and the ability to protect the heart from oxidative stress and fibrosis.
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Massage
What was once considered a simple luxury for people with money in their wallet and too much time on their hands, massage has been shown to reduce stress, aid in digestive disorders, relieve insomnia, and encourage joint and muscle flexibility. All of these factors contribute to discomfort compounded by aging.
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“If you don’t have the time or money to get one regularly, you can achieve a lot of the same benefits by taking 20 minutes each day to stretch, meditate and calm yourself, breathing deeply in and out,” said Lisa Hedley of the Mayflower Inn and Spa in an article by Ingela Ratledge.
In truth, we can’t stop time. But by incorporating healthy foods, drinking water, and relying on plant-based supplements, we can look like we did.
A previous version of this article appeared in the Daily Herald on Sept. 7, 2016
